8-9 September 2026
Vienna, Austria
Specialty Papers 2026 is taking place on 8-9 September 2026 in Vienna, Austria as part of Smithers Paper Week 2026
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Biography to follow
Maria Georgiadou serves as Recycling Manager at Cepi and has been active in the paper industry since 2021. With over eight years of experience in EU policy and public affairs, her work focuses on circularity, packaging, recyclability, and waste legislation.
A Chemical Engineer by education with over 20 years of extensive experience in the field of packaging development and materials innovation. Professional career across the entire packaging supply chain, working for some of the leading paper and packaging manufacturers and recyclers, with many years in food manufacturing and retail. Currently a Flexible Packaging Platform Lead at Nestlé’s Head Office in Switzerland, responsible for leading the cross-category R&D portfolio for the Group in the field of flexible packaging equipment and material technologies.
Dr Stefanie Federle is Chief Scientific Officer at Kelpi, leading the company’s materials R&D and regulatory strategy. With a PhD in Sustainable Chemical Technologies from the University of Bath, she has over a decade of experience in polymer chemistry, specialising in the development and testing of renewable polymers, with particular expertise in coatings and paper packaging applications. She has served as a technical expert on projects across academia and industry in Europe and the US, working with a diverse range of bio-based feedstocks, including seaweed, microalgae and terpenes.
EU R&D Manager for WB/ polymer based in Mindelo, Portugal, with deep expertise in emulsion polymers and water-based adhesives across diverse markets such as woodworking, bottle labeling, tapes & labels between others.
At H.B. Fuller, she currently leads global initiatives focused on developing innovative barrier coating solutions that enable more sustainable paper packaging.
Carla and her team are dedicated to the ideation, development, and commercialization of high-impact technologies. She played a key role in the development and launch of H.B. Fuller’s Barrier Coatings portfolio, leveraging advanced polymerization know-how to deliver differentiated performance and seamless compatibility with adhesives.
Prior to joining H.B. Fuller, Carla earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Oporto and built a strong foundation in analytical chemistry, process optimization, and quality management through various industry roles.
Dr. Christiane Laine works as a Senior Researcher in UPM R&D in the Paper Product Development team since 2020. Her task is the development and support of sustainable and innovative paper-based solutions for the UPM Specialty Materials business unit. She has three decades experience in pulp and paper products, advanced biomaterials, and chemical engineering. Her work has been featured in numerous peer reviewed publications and collaborative research projects across industry and academia.
Janet Preston has worked in IMERYS Minerals for over 30 years in the areas of
coatings and minerals research, including paper coating, paper filling, paints and inks
and in printing science.
Whilst working at Imerys Janet graduated from University of Plymouth with an
honours degree in Applied Chemistry. She then gained a PhD in Chemistry with the
Interface Analysis Centre, University of Bristol, where she studied ink and coated
paper interactions. Janet has around 100 publications in this area. She is currently a
senior technical support specialist & scientist in the company’s Paper & Board group
and is working in the area of paper, board, pulp & printing.
In 2007 Janet was appointed as an Adjunct Professor (Docent) at Abo Akademi
University in Finland. She is a Chartered Chemist & Member of the Royal Society of
Chemistry.
Alexey Vishtal is working at Capsul’in Pro as a Head of Cellulose development and focusing on bringing home-compostable pulp-based solutions for single-serve beverage systems to the market. He has more than 15 years of experience in various roles in FMCG, material and process development with a focus on packaging sustainability. His core abilities lie in the bringing novel innovative packaging concepts into industrial use, from idea conceptualization to CAPEX and operational excellence. He also has strong academic background in paper physics, barrier coatings, and packaging converting where he authored more than 20 peer-reviewed papers and hold 10+ international patents
Jenni currently holds a position as Paper Packaging Specialist at Nestlé Institution of Packaging Science where she is responsible for developing new sustainable fiber-based packaging materials and concepts. Her work combines her roots and passion for paper as well as for the circular economy.
Prior to joining Nestlé Jenni worked for over 10 years in the paper, printing and converting industry. She has a M.Sc in Forest Products Technology (Chemistry and Technology of Pulp and Paper Making) from Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
Dr. David Guerin is Master Scientist at L’Oréal’s Packaging Science Center. He is in charge of identifying new materials, technologies and partners that could bridge the performance gap between L’Oréal’s packaging needs and the current fibre-based packaging solutions. Before joining l’Oréal in 2021, David was leading the Functional Surfaces team of Centre Technique du Papier (CTP). David has more than 25 years of experience in the field of paper and paper packaging materials supported by an education background and a PhD in paper processing and material sciences from Grenoble INP.
Martti Toivakka is currently a full professor and head of the Laboratory of Paper Coating and Converting at Åbo Akademi University, Finland (www.abo.fi/lpcc). He received his doctoral degree in chemical engineering in the area of paper chemistry in 1998. His research group is a member of the Academy of Finland appointed Center of Excellence for Functional Materials, which develops functional materials and demonstrates devices for printed intelligence. His research interests include novel coating and surface treatment methods for natural fiber-based products, printing as a fabrication method and use of paper as a substrate for printed electronics. He has (co-)authored over 140 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is currently the guest editor of Chemical Engineering and Processing – special issue of Coating and Drying of Thin Films. He has organized and been the chairman of 2006 TAPPI Advanced Coating Fundamentals Symposium and the 2011 European Coating Symposium, both held in Turku, Finland. Furthermore, he has arranged numerous international short courses for industrial professionals and doctoral level students, the recent ones being Coating and Drying of Thin Films – Fundamentals & Applications with a Special Topic on Printed and Organic Electronics in 2011, Pigment Coating Technology in 2012, and Advanced Printing Technology in 2014.
More than 30 years experience in pulp and paper industry, both in end-user, production and supplier environment, I have a passion for papermaking and process control, as well as understanding the drivers along the value chain of paper products.
Currently holding a European marketing position for Board & Packaging at Nalco Water, closely mixed with technical development, brings me close to paper mills addressing needs in paper products as well as operational challenges and restrictions.
Living in Sweden
